A NATIONAL SURVEY OF CIGARETTE-SMOKING IN 4TH-FORM SCHOOL-CHILDREN INNEW-ZEALAND

Aims. To determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking in 14 and 15 ye ar old school children in New Zealand and to examine associated risk f actors. Methods. Nationwide cross-sectional survey of fourth-form scho ol children in New Zealand by means of an anonymous self administered questionnaire in November 1992. Results. Questionnaires from 14 097 fo urteen and fifteen year-olds were analysed. 65.6% had tried smoking, a nd 36.1% regarded themselves as smokers. Females and Maori had. signif icantly higher prevalence rates. Of Maori females 44.6% were current s mokers (more than one per month) compared to 24.0% for the whole group , and 33.0% were daily smokers. Pacific Island students, who have simi lar socioeconomic disadvantage to Maori, have a lower relative risk of smoking (RR) 0.79, (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68, 0.91), than Eu ropeans. Major independent risk factors were identified and population attributable risk was calculated for parental smoking (22.9%), poor k nowledge of adverse health effects (7.3%) and watching televised sport s (13.4%). These three modifiable factors accounted for 36.1% of the t otal smoking prevalence in these children. Conclusion. The continued h igh prevalence of smoking in New Zealand children, especially in Maori and in females, prove current public health measures to be inadequate . Our results suggest that strategies aimed at decreasing parental smo king, improving student knowledge of adverse health effects and preven ting tobacco sponsorship of television sports could greatly decrease t he smoking prevalence in this age group.